1. Technical Field
This invention relates to article locating devices and, more particularly, to a multiple article locating system for finding a plurality of misplaced user articles.
2. Prior Art
Since hectic and busy days are becoming more and more common in today's fast paced world, distractions are almost impossible to avoid, even in the household. Whether the telephone is ringing incessantly, children are insistent with demands, or breakfast is about to burn on the stove, it is quite simple to lose track of personal items when having to attend to so many tasks. Car keys, purses and wallets, medications, and even eyeglasses are seemingly sucked into some unknown abyss as on-the-go living stretches one's attention. When things have calmed, many face an extended search for necessary items, entirely unsure of where they possibly could have left them. Whether they have slipped between chair cushions or been absently placed in another room, locating these objects can be daunting and frustrating. As many consumers attest, furiously searching for these items can be extremely aggravating and time consuming, especially when running late for work or school or needing to take a required medication at a certain time.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,209,075 to Durst discloses a method and apparatus for an object locator system for requesting and obtaining information about the location of a mobile object, having attached thereon a lightweight object locator, operable in a region served by a two-way paging system and a global positioning satellite system. The object locator may be selectively activated to conserve power or enabled to respond only when beyond or within a boundary. Further, the object locator system may provide the location information in several forms including rectangular or polar coordinates referred to a base station or origin, position on a map display, etc. In alternate embodiments the two-way paging system may be substituted by a direct wireless link or a satellite relay communications link; the location information may be translated into human readable form either before or after transmission from the object locator; the location information may be presented at an output as selectable text; spoken message or graphic display including a map; the location information may have associated therewith other information such as time the location was determined, the status of the object locator, the condition of the battery, position of the object locator relative to a boundary or electronic fence or to indicate an alarm condition; or the location information may be accessed or delivered by dial-up or automatic means. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a means for finding multiple objects with the use of only one transceiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,147 to Durst discloses a satellite navigation receiver for automatically providing computed position information, when the device has changed its position relative to a predetermined location, to a paging transmitter for transmission to a paging receiver for readout of the computed position information. The readout may be in the form of coordinates and may be accompanied by a message or alarm. The device may be configured as a portable unit of small size and economical manufacture. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a means for finding multiple objects with the use of only one transceiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,778 to Durst discloses a locating device for attachment to an animal and adapted to obtain and communicate location information about the animal to a base station. The device is comprised of a controller having an input for location data and a first communication port; a satellite navigation system receiver coupled to a first antenna and having a location data output coupled to the location data input of said controller; a communication transceiver coupled to a second antenna to receive and transmit communications between the locating device and the base station and having a second communication port coupled to the first communication port of the controller; and a housing to enclose the controller, the satellite navigation system receiver and communication transceiver, configured to be attached to the animal. The controller upon activation operates automatically to obtain location data from the satellite navigation system receiver via the location data output, store the location data in the memory and cause the location data to be accessed from the memory, coupled to the communication transceiver and transmitted to the base station. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a means for finding multiple objects with the use of only one transceiver.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a system that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for finding multiple misplaced user articles.
The multiple article locator system would effectively assist a user in quickly locating misplaced objects that are essential to daily routine. Eliminating the need to fruitlessly dig through chair cushions, to crawl on the floor to search underneath furniture, or to root through every drawer in the house, the present invention would pinpoint the location of an elusive item in a matter of seconds. As a result, precious minutes would not be wasted on busy days when time is in short supply. Easy to operate, a simple push of the transmitting button would emit a loud and clear sound that can be heard from practically anywhere in the home. In this manner, the present invention is ideal for use by children as well as adults. The elderly and those who suffer from limited physical capabilities would certainly benefit from the time saving benefits afforded by this effortless product. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.